Birds caused a dangerous incident with a Ryanair Boeing 737 in Thessaloniki

14.08.2026 | Accidents

An investigation has revealed the cause of the emergency landing of a Ryanair aircraft in Thessaloniki. Bird remains in the engine led to decompression and one injured passenger.

Снимка от Bene Riobó, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ryanair flight incident in Thessaloniki

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that bird remains were the cause of the serious incident involving a Ryanair Boeing 737 NG aircraft on July 10.

During takeoff from Thessaloniki to Germany, a part of the engine detached, which led to the breaking of a cabin window and rapid decompression.

As a result of the incident, a 61-year-old passenger was injured, and the crew was forced to make an emergency landing at Thessaloniki Airport.

Chronology of bird strikes